Definition: The Statistical Capacity Indicator is a composite score assessing the capacity of a country’s statistical system. It is based on a diagnostic framework assessing the following areas: methodology; data sources; and periodicity and timeliness. Countries are scored against 25 criteria in these areas, using publicly available information and/or country input. The overall Statistical Capacity score is then calculated as a simple average of all three area scores on a scale of 0-100.

Development Relevance: Statistical Capacity is a nation’s ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate high-quality data about its population and economy. Quality statistics are essential for all stages of evidence-based decision-making, including: Monitoring social and economic indicators, Allocating political representation and government resources, Guiding private sector investment, as well as Informing the international donor community for program design and policy formulation.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The Statistical Capacity Indicator score is calculated as the average of the scores of the 3 dimensions, i.e. Availability, Collection, Practice.